Lonely Planet

I was recently in Boston visiting some friends and wanted to take some outside portraits of my friend, our model, in the north end of the city. As we were scouting a place to shoot, we noticed a small side street lined with old, tall buildings (where the afternoon sun was about to shine in). So we decided to quickly set up some lighting gear to take advantage of this momentary lighting opportunity.

Since I wanted a short depth of field, I set the aperture to f/3.5 and the shutter speed to 1/500th of a second to compensate for exposure (here, I figure out the appropriate shutter speed by reviewing the exposure on the LCD. Typically, I will first set our aperture to determine our depth of field, and then use the built-in meter to estimate the approximate shutter speed. I'll then take a shot and review the exposure. After a while, you get familiar with how the light levels on the LCD compare to the light levels on your computer screen, and become more confident with your exposures, minimizing the need to bracket (shooting at several exposure levels) or use a light meter.

Once the camera was set, I framed up the shot and fired off a few frames. Here is a keeper from the bunch (figure 3).

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The result shows a very dynamic portrait. The sun lights up our model's hair and shoulder to create separation from the background, and the MultiDisc does well to bounce white, soft light into the top half of our model's body: a good exposure all around. Also note that the sun rakes along the wall of the building, giving it dimension and an interesting texture.

While the white side of the MultiDisc is good for bouncing soft light into the shadows, it is also neutral in tone.

Sometimes it's nice to use the Soft Gold side to warm up the skin tones somewhat, and that's what we decided to do here next. To do so, I simply flipped the fabric on the MutliDisc, reattached it to the LiteDisc Holder, checked the reflection on our model's face and took a few more exposures (figures 4, 5 & 6).

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Notice how the Soft Gold side of the MultiDisc really warms up the color of our model's skin. And because the Soft Gold side is shinier than the White side, it adds a little more contrast, or "punch" to the shot. It almost looks as if our model is being lit by both the sun and a nearby window reflecting sunlight into her face.

Once everything was in position, we asked our model for a few different poses and fired off a few more shots (figures 7, 8 & 9).

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The result shows a bright, even light that fills in the shadows from head to toe. Even the black pants are illuminated enough to reveal texture and detail. As you can see, the White LitePanel fabric helps to create natural-looking lighting without appearing as though the scene is artificially lit.

Next, I decided to flip the LitePanel to reflect the Soft Gold side of the fabric. Again, the Soft Gold side is both brighter and warmer in tone than the White side, and gives us a different look to the shot. Once the LitePanel was in place, we took a few more exposures at the same camera settings (figures 10, 11 & 12).

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Notice the difference the Soft Gold panel makes. The result shows a very dramatic light that ties in well with the contrast of the building in the background. A very cinematic shot lit only by the sun and a reflector!

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As the sun made its way across the sky, I decided to reposition the camera angle so that the building across the street would be in the background. While we waited for the light to rake across the brick, I had our model put on her sunglasses and a scarf for a slightly different look. With the same camera settings and the Soft Gold panel in place, I took a few more shots. Here is our model's favorite of the bunch (figure 13).

Again, a well-lit, dimensional subject in front of a nicely textured background. It just goes to show that you don't have to spend a fortune to get professional-quality results!

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Keep in mind that there is no "right" way to light someone, and that there are many different looks you can achieve simply by experimenting with your lighting tools. And by experimenting often, you will inevitably learn how to get the look you are going for.